


Come With Me

by josie_josette



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arguing, Based on a song, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:08:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23705125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/josie_josette/pseuds/josie_josette
Summary: Josie has to take a business trip. Again. But this time it's longer than expected. Hope hates it when she leaves, but she'll put up with it because she knows how much Josie loves her job, so she never complains, no matter how much it kills her to be without her. What happens when she tells her how she really feels? Will Josie go, or will she stay for Hope?orBased off of James Arthur's "Car's Outside"
Relationships: Hope Mikaelson & Josie Saltzman, Hope Mikaelson/Josie Saltzman
Comments: 8
Kudos: 122





	Come With Me

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I've had this idea stuck in my head for so long, but I've had terrible writer's block this entire week, so it took me forever to finish it. I'm currently working on some other stories as well, so I'll have those out as soon as they're done. But anyways, hope you enjoy!

The moment I heard my alarm go off I wanted to throw it across the room and go back to sleep. I was usually a morning person, I swear; I loved the smell of coffee first thing, the sound of birds chirping outside our little apartment in downtown New Orleans, the sound of my girlfriend cooking and humming a low tune as she did so. I loved every bit of it. The only reason why I was in such a bad mood this morning was precisely because of my girlfriend. 

Okay, not her necessarily, but because she was leaving. Every six months or so she’d have to go on these really long business trips for her company. She was in marketing and part of her job was finding investors. They liked her particularly because she’s a people person, so she always gets the most investors out of her entire team, which was great for them, and her since she made almost twice as much as everyone else, but it was very unfortunate for me since that usually meant she was gone longer than the rest of them. They were gone for one or two weeks while she was gone for at least a month. 

I know what you’re thinking, ‘it’s only a month, Hope. That’s not that bad.’ And to that I say, it is that bad. Falling asleep without her next to me is close to impossible. Waking up alone is just as bad, if not worse. Coming home to an empty apartment is one of the loneliest feelings in the world and I hate it, but there’s nothing I can do about it. She has to go and I have to stay here and finish school. 

Josie shifted next to me, pulling me out of my thoughts. She flipped over and threw her arm across my stomach, mumbling something that sounded like, “I don’t wanna.” 

I laughed and shook my head, moving the hair out of her face and kissing the top of her head gently. “Come on, Sleeping Beauty. I’m hungry and you promised me omelettes last night.” 

She groaned, but sat up, rubbing her eyes and yawning. She glared at me while I flashed her a sweet smile, making her struggle to keep up her mean look. 

“You’re lucky you’re cute,” she said, getting out of bed and heading for the bathroom, dragging her feet as she went. I watched her go, forgetting all my worries for a moment. But then I remembered and as soon as the door closed behind her I sighed and fell back on the bed wondering how I was going to survive letting her go again. 

After we both got ready and stopped trying to tickle each other to death - a fight which she started - we headed over to the kitchen to make breakfast. 

Josie was the one who did everything in the kitchen; she was definitely more talented in that area than I was despite her best efforts to teach me. The last time I’d tried to cook for us I almost burned down the kitchen, so she didn’t really let me do much after that. And today was no different, although she did trust me enough this morning to make the coffee, but I think that was just because she was leaving, so she felt guilty. Either way, I took the win and happily skipped off to the coffee maker to throw everything in and watched intently as the coffee started to brew. 

I could feel Josie staring at me as I leaned on the counter to watch, but I ignored her. 

“I swear you’re such a child sometimes,” she chuckled, mixing two eggs in a bowl and walking over to the pan to make sure it was heating up. 

I looked at her and shrugged. “I appreciate the little things in life; nothing wrong with that. You’re just bitter.” 

She gave me a very offended look, pouting as she turned around. “Jerk,” she mumbled, walking over to the island to throw in some more ingredients into the bowl. I laughed and went back to watching the coffee brew, taking it out when it was finished a few minutes later. 

I fixed mine up, throwing in some creamer and sugar, making it as sweet as could be. Josie scrunched up her nose in disgust as she watched me, pouring her coffee into her own mug without adding anything. I returned the disgusted face as I watched her sip her drink. 

“I will never understand how you can drink your coffee black,” I said. 

She shrugged and put her cup down, walking over to the stove to finish making our omelettes. “Same way I'll never understand how you like yours so sweet. It gives me a toothache just watching you drink that.”

“You’re so dramatic,” I said with an eye roll, slurping my coffee for show. Josie laughed and flipped over the first omelette. I watched her as she cooked from my stool at the island, enjoying the sight before me. 

We didn’t really talk while she cooked. She sang and swayed a little as she worked and I simply sat there like a lovestruck idiot, gazing at her like she was the most precious thing in the universe - which, to me, was exactly the case. She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever laid eyes on and I made sure she knew it every day. She got tired of hearing me say it, but I never grew tired of telling her. 

Once she was done with our breakfast, she flipped the omelettes onto two plates, added some final ingredients on top and set them down on the table. I walked over and took my place across from her, thanking her with a small peck on the lips before sitting down. 

We talked while we ate. Not about anything too serious, it was more casual conversation; me telling her she was a great cook, her rolling her eyes and saying ‘duh’ while I laughed, things we had to take care of before the end of the day, me complaining about the classes I’d signed up for for next semester. It wasn’t until we were pretty much finished with our food that she decided to break the news. 

“So I got a call from my supervisor a few weeks ago,” she said casually, pushing the last bit of her eggs around her plate. Well that’s not good. 

“Okay...” I said, wondering why she was just mentioning it now. “What did he want to talk to you about?” 

“He said he wants me to extend my trip.” 

I stopped with my hand mid air and looked at her. “You haven’t even left and he’s already asking you to stay longer?” 

She sighed and looked up at me, her eyes tired and sad. “I know, I hate it too, but it’s only a little longer than I was originally supposed to stay for and-”

“How much longer?” I interrupted. 

She avoided my eyes as she spoke. “A few extra weeks…” 

“Josette,” I said. That finally got her attention. “How much longer?”

She looked up at me and sighed, closing her eyes as she mumbled, “Three months.” 

“I’m sorry, I don’t think I heard you correctly, did you just say three months?” My eyes widened and my voice came out a little louder than I had intended it to, but I was in such disbelief that I didn’t really care. “Josie, you were only supposed to be gone for three weeks this time around, ‘a little longer’ would have been four, maybe five weeks. But three months? That’s ridiculous! Why the hell do they even need you to stay that long?” 

“They’re trying to expand their European branches, so they need a substantial amount of investors,” she explained calmly, “I already have working relationships with some of them so that makes it easier for me to close deals.” 

“So then why do you need to be gone for so long if it’s supposed to be easier?” 

“Because since I’m the best one for this project I’m going alone and they’re not just sending me to Italy this time, it’s gonna be Norway, Ireland, Switzerland, Belgium, France-” 

I laughed humorlessly. “And you’re okay with that?” 

“It doesn’t matter if I’m okay with it,” she said, starting to get angry. “It’s my job, I have to do it.” 

“Yeah, and screw what I think, right?” 

I grabbed my plate and my mug, placing them in the sink and trying my best not to slam them down, but I was so pissed it took everything inside of me not to throw them. 

“That’s so not fair,” Josie said, getting up from the table and coming after me. “You know that’s not true. Of course I care what you think!” 

“Then why did you wait until the very last minute to tell me that you weren’t coming home for three months?”

“Because I knew you would react this way!” 

“How the hell else am I supposed to react!?” I shouted. “Do you want me to be happy that you’re leaving for so long? Do you know how much I hate it when you leave? Do you have any idea how much it hurts me to wake up without you next to me? To come home and find that you’re not here? I can barely sleep when you’re gone. It kills me, Jo. I hate it, but I put up with it for you. Because I know it’s your job and you’re great at it and you love it, but I don’t. So I’m sorry for being mad, but you can’t say it’s not justified.”

My voice gradually got quieter as I spoke, my sadness winning over my anger. My throat felt tight and my voice faltered at the end. I hated fighting with her. I hated seeing her so upset, but I just couldn’t do it anymore. I never complained to her about her trips; she knew I didn’t like her being away for any amount of time, but I’d never told her how I really felt about them. She was always so excited about them because she loved Europe so much. I never wanted to make her feel bad about leaving me behind, but I couldn’t keep it from her anymore. It was just too hard. 

“You never told me it bothered you that much,” she whispered, her voice so frail it made me want to take it all back. “I mean, I knew you didn’t like it, but I didn’t realize… why didn’t you ever tell me?”

She took a step closer to me and reached out for my hand cautiously, almost as if measuring how upset I was. I looked down at our hands and kept my gaze there. 

I sighed and blinked away the tears that were starting to form in my eyes. “You’re always so excited to go and travel and see France and Germany and all of that, I didn’t want you to worry about me while you were away.”

“You still should’ve told me,” she said, lifting my chin so I had to look at her. 

“It wouldn’t have made a difference either way,” I said, letting go of her hands and walking towards the front door to get my keys. I could feel her watching me as I went, her questioning gaze burning a hole in the back of my head. 

“Where are you going?” she asked. 

I grabbed my bag and tossed it over my shoulder as I opened the door. “I just remembered I need something from the store. I’ll be back in a little while.” 

“Hope,” she said, taking a step towards me, but after looking into my eyes she must’ve realized I needed to be alone and thought better of it, staying in place. “Nevermind. Just, come home soon?” 

“Yeah, of course,” I said, flashing her a forced little smile before I turned and left. 

I didn’t know where to go. I didn’t actually need anything from the store, I just needed to get out of the house. I was just so upset and looking at Josie’s eyes, so hurt and broken after everything I said, it didn’t help. 

I didn't want to keep arguing, but I wasn’t quite ready to forgive and forget yet, so I needed to step out for a while, clear my head. Not too long, considering that I probably won’t be seeing her for the next three goddamn months, but long enough to compose myself and get ready to see her off. 

Oh god, I’m going to have to say goodbye to her knowing I won’t be seeing her for months. How the hell am I going to do that? I can’t believe they’re making her do this all by herself. Sometimes I swear her bosses have it out for me. 

I stopped my internal rambling for a second when I drove by the park, deciding that a walk would probably do me some good. I parked my car close to the dirt path and got out, taking a second to admire that it really was a beautiful day. The sun was out, the birds were singing their happy little tunes, kids were running around and laughing without a care in the world. And still, despite the cheerful atmosphere I felt so miserable. 

I locked my car and walked down to the old trail just behind the playground. I watched as the kids played and the adults watched them to make sure they were safe. I saw couples holding hands and talking as they walked ahead of me. I saw two friends laughing, one of them playfully shoving the other after making a joke. I tried to focus on them, but as I observed I found myself wanting to be back home and in my girlfriend’s arms. 

As upset and angry as I was with her for refusing to say no to her bosses, I understood that she had to go. I knew she loved her job and I didn’t want to be the one to tell her not to go; I didn’t want to be the reason she gave up something she loved. And I knew she would which is exactly why I never told her how much her being gone hurt me. It’s why I always put on a brave face and simply said, “I’ll see you again soon. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.” Because I knew that if I asked her to stay she would. That’s just the kind of person she was; always the one to make the sacrifices if need be. I didn’t want her to do that, so I sucked it up. 

But now I was afraid to go home and face her. I wasn’t sure what she would say or what she would want to do, but I also knew that I felt bad for yelling at her and I needed to go home and apologize immediately. So that’s exactly what I did. 

After taking a lap around the trail, I made my way back to my car and hopped in, driving back to the house, but not before making a quick stop at the supermarket just a few blocks away from our apartment. When I got home, it was completely silent. 

“Jo?” I called out, closing the door and dropping my bag on the couch. 

“In the room,” she called back. I couldn’t quite tell what she was feeling based on her tone, but she definitely didn’t sound as upset as before, which was a good thing. 

I headed down the hall and up the stairs to our little shared bedroom where I found her sitting on the edge of our bed with her suitcase open behind her. Her clothes were half in, half out as if she were debating on whether she was going or not. She looked up at me, flipping her phone over and over in her hands. 

“What’d you get from the store?” she asked. 

I walked over to her and handed her the little brown paper bag. “I got you some mint chocolate because I know it helps calm your nerves during flights. And some gummy worms and one of those little slinkies since you broke the other one last time.” 

She let out a breath and smiled, taking the bag out of my hands. 

“I’m sorry,” I said, taking a seat next to her. “I’m so sorry I yelled and got up in your face before, I know it’s not your fault. I was just upset because I hate that you’re leaving for so long, but I can handle it. It’s only a few months, right?” 

She looked up at me, shifting her body to face me fully. “Maybe I just won’t go this time.” 

I shook my head. “No. You’re going.” 

“It’s just one trip-” 

“A very important one, by the sounds of it. And they need their best marketing executive to get all those investors.” 

“Yeah, but you need me, too. You’re miserable when I’m gone and I’m not too happy to be away from you either-”

“You’re not going to risk losing your job just because I can’t handle being away from you for a couple of months.”

“But-”

“Josie, you’re going. End of discussion.” 

She pouted at me, but then she sighed and rolled her eyes. “Fine.” 

I smiled at her and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, gently cupping her cheek afterwards. She looked at me, her eyes full of tears. 

“Are we okay?” she murmured. I smiled and pulled her into my arms, sighing in relief when she squeezed me back forcefully. 

“Of course we are,” I whispered, gently stroking her hair as I listened to her heartbeat, letting the slow rhythm calm me. 

We sat there for a long time just holding each other, neither of us wanting to leave the little bubble of comfort that had formed around us. It wasn’t until she got a phone call from her supervisor that we moved. 

She gave me an apologetic smile and answered the call, walking down to the living room to take it. When she left I stood up and started to repack her suitcase, taking my time as I did so in order to do it right. Josie was picky with the way she folded her clothes; one of her charming qualities I’d come to love over time. She came back into the room a few minutes later, phone in hand and a sad expression on her face. 

“Everything okay?” I asked, closing the suitcase and zipping it up. 

“Yeah, all good. He just wanted to make some last minute confirmations and hotel arrangements,” she shrugged. There was something else. 

“Is that all he wanted to talk about?” I said, raising an eyebrow. 

“Well that and… he found me an earlier flight. It leaves in two hours.” 

My chest felt heavy, but I smiled anyways, tapping the suitcase as I said, “Then I guess it’s a good thing you’re all packed and ready to go.” 

She stepped closer to me. “Packed maybe, but definitely not ready to go.” 

I sighed and hugged her tightly, never wanting to let her go. She returned my embrace just as forcefully, seeming to be thinking the same thing I was; this one was going to hurt more than the rest. 

About an hour later we finally decided to call for a cab. Josie hated saying goodbye at airports, said it hurt more and the drive back was always depressing so she wouldn’t make me do that. I honestly never minded either way, it still sucked whether I dropped her off or had to put her in a taxi, but I never argued.  
When the car finally arrived the cab driver helped us load her things into the trunk of the car and then went back to the driver’s seat, patiently waiting for us to say our farewells. 

“So this is it then, huh?” I asked. “See you in three months?” 

“I guess so,” she responded, a sad smile on her face. 

There was a slight moment of hesitation before she hugged me and let out a small breath of discontent. I stood there holding her, reluctantly letting go after a few seconds. I didn’t want her to leave, but since I knew she had to I wanted to get it over with as soon as possible. Just gotta rip the band-aid off, right? 

“You should go,” I said once we let go of one another. “Car’s waiting.” 

She didn’t say anything. Her eyes welled up with tears and she nodded, giving me a broken-hearted smile just before she turned around and started walking to the car. 

I watched her as she walked away, the tears in my own eyes finally getting to be too much and spilling over as she opened the back door to the cab. She stopped with one foot in the door, but then she leaned in, said something to the driver and walked back over to me. 

“Screw this,” she called out. “Come with me.” 

I wiped the tears away from my cheeks and looked at her with a puzzled expression. “What?” 

“Come with me,” she repeated, accentuating every word. “Go inside, pack a small bag and come to Europe with me.” 

“You’re insane,” I laughed. “I can’t just up and leave like that. I mean, the semester starts in a few weeks and I was going to start looking for a job, not to mention your trip is three months long and we don’t have anyone to house sit or anything-”

“You can do your classes online,” she suggested, taking my hands in her own, “and I’ve told you a million times I make enough to support both of us, you don’t have to worry about working for right now. And as far as house sitting, Lizzie and MG can stop by and take care of things, I’m sure I can convince them.”

There was so much hope in her eyes, I knew she wasn’t going to let me say no. And to be perfectly honest, I didn’t want to say no. What she was offering me was amazing; can you imagine? Three months with her in Europe, touring Italy and France and Germany, doing online classes from little cafe’s while she did what she loved, getting to go to bed with her every night. She’s been trying to take me for as long as we’ve been together, but something’s always gotten in the way. But now? Now it all seemed so simple. 

“I don’t have a plane ticket,” I whispered. 

She chuckled. “I’ll call my supervisor, he’ll take care of it.” 

“Josie,” I sighed, “this is crazy. I can’t-”

“Yes you can,” she said, taking another step towards me so we were toe-to-toe. “Go inside, pack your bag, close the windows and lock the door. I’m not leaving you behind. Not again.” 

I looked her in the eyes and nodded, pulling her in for a kiss shortly after. She smiled into it and pushed me away with the biggest grin I'd ever seen on her face. 

“Go!” she laughed. “Hurry up, I’ll wait for you in the car.” 

“Okay,” I said, jogging back inside the house and rushing up the stairs. 

I grabbed the extra suitcase that was stuffed in the back of the closet and threw in the bare necessities, my heart pounding the entire time. I was not one to do spontaneous, and neither was Josie for that matter, but right now none of that seemed to matter. This felt right. I can’t explain it, but something about when she proposed me coming on the trip with her, it felt like that should have been the plan all along. 

I finished packing in record time, rushing around the apartment and making sure everything was locked and double checking to make sure all appliances were off and disconnected. When I was done, I locked the door and got in the car where Josie was waiting to tell me that new arrangements had been made and everything was ready for us. 

And just like that, we were off to France.

**Author's Note:**

> What did you think? Let me know! I love reading your comments


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